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- AgesOfTheIce
- Rep: 10
Re: Ain't Going Down history?
The song seems to have a bizarre history. It was included in the L&L box as an instrumental, so it was definitely around in the AFD days. I remember reading it was going to be included on UYI but was dropped for some reason, this must be where the demo with vocals we have is from? Then it was included on the 1994 pinball with only the chorus. Apparently Gilby said he worked on this song, so maybe the instrumental itself was reworked in 1994 for the pinball? Gilby obviously wasn't involved in any UYI sessions. Does anyone have a clearer timeline?
Re: Ain't Going Down history?
It was played live at least once in 1986 (The Whiskey, August 23). So it already had lyrics then, although they didn't record a demo of it with vocals (or, at least, no demo with vocals from that time has been released or circulated).
Then it was indeed going to be on UYI. A rough mix of it with vocals is found on the "Axl's Advance Copy" bootleg from the 90s (the dates of the mixes on that bootleg are unknown). That version was obviously with Izzy.
It was included in a letter from ASCAP to radio/TV stations in April 1991 (prohibiting the broadcast of leaked tracks from UYI sessions):
According to Matt Sorum, part of it was recorded in Wisconsin at the time the UYI tour started:
Matt: I do actually, I do remember [The Alpine Valley shows in May 1991]. [...] When we played Alpine Valley we hadn’t released the “Illusions” records yet and we actually finished a couple of the songs on the album over there in Wisconsin, there was a recording studio (Royal Recorders, Lake Geneva) and I remember me and Duff had to go in there and do background vocals and I think Axl had to sing a lead vocal. We did a song called “Don’t Damn Me” and another song called “Ain’t Goin Down” which is actually only on the Guns N’ Roses pinball machine so I remember all that stuff yeah (laughs). [Legendary Rock Interviews, March 17, 2014]
Then Slash said in 1992 that they were thinking of putting it on what would become The Spaghetti Incident, mentioning that the lyrics and vocals weren't finished:
Slash: As far as the Punk thing goes, there’s gonna be a new song on there that we didn’t finish for ‘Use Your Illusion’. It’s finished as far as all the backing tracks were done, but we didn’t finish the words. It’s called ‘Ain’t Going Down’ and it’s one of those songs that we wrote in the streets in Hollywood just walking around. [Raw Magazine, March 4, 1992]
I don't recall Gilby talking about playing on it, and maybe he did play on it when they were recording songs for Spaghetti while on tour. The above quote from Slash, though, doesn't suggest that they intended to have Gilby play on it.
And then it ended up being used for the pinball machine. Slash again mentioned that the vocals were not finished:
Slash: There’s a song called Ain’t Going Down, which we just never finished, and we have a chorus for it, so I figure we’d use that [on the pinball machine], you know, and finally get it out there. So now that we’ve done it we have to actually record it. [MTV, November 11, 1994]
Gilby was out of the band when the pinball machine was released (and a year later he sued GN'R for using his name and likeness on it).
The version we have from the UYI sessions sounds like a completed song, but maybe Axl wanted to write more lyrics on it.
Re: Ain't Going Down history?
Wow...I did not remember how Ain't Going Down almost made the cut for TSI.
It needed it. The only people that cover album would pull in is hardcores. On the other hand, would including it really make any difference? Other than doing that video, they didn't promote the album.
Re: Ain't Going Down history?
It was played live at least once in 1986 (The Whiskey, August 23). So it already had lyrics then, although they didn't record a demo of it with vocals (or, at least, no demo with vocals from that time has been released or circulated).
Then it was indeed going to be on UYI. A rough mix of it with vocals is found on the "Axl's Advance Copy" bootleg from the 90s (the dates of the mixes on that bootleg are unknown). That version was obviously with Izzy.
It was included in a letter from ASCAP to radio/TV stations in April 1991 (prohibiting the broadcast of leaked tracks from UYI sessions):
http://www.troccolitm.com/UYIPressKit5.JPG
According to Matt Sorum, part of it was recorded in Wisconsin at the time the UYI tour started:
Matt: I do actually, I do remember [The Alpine Valley shows in May 1991]. [...] When we played Alpine Valley we hadn’t released the “Illusions” records yet and we actually finished a couple of the songs on the album over there in Wisconsin, there was a recording studio (Royal Recorders, Lake Geneva) and I remember me and Duff had to go in there and do background vocals and I think Axl had to sing a lead vocal. We did a song called “Don’t Damn Me” and another song called “Ain’t Goin Down” which is actually only on the Guns N’ Roses pinball machine so I remember all that stuff yeah (laughs). [Legendary Rock Interviews, March 17, 2014]
Then Slash said in 1992 that they were thinking of putting it on what would become The Spaghetti Incident, mentioning that the lyrics and vocals weren't finished:
Slash: As far as the Punk thing goes, there’s gonna be a new song on there that we didn’t finish for ‘Use Your Illusion’. It’s finished as far as all the backing tracks were done, but we didn’t finish the words. It’s called ‘Ain’t Going Down’ and it’s one of those songs that we wrote in the streets in Hollywood just walking around. [Raw Magazine, March 4, 1992]
I don't recall Gilby talking about playing on it, and maybe he did play on it when they were recording songs for Spaghetti while on tour. The above quote from Slash, though, doesn't suggest that they intended to have Gilby play on it.
And then it ended up being used for the pinball machine. Slash again mentioned that the vocals were not finished:
Slash: There’s a song called Ain’t Going Down, which we just never finished, and we have a chorus for it, so I figure we’d use that [on the pinball machine], you know, and finally get it out there. So now that we’ve done it we have to actually record it. [MTV, November 11, 1994]
Gilby was out of the band when the pinball machine was released (and a year later he sued GN'R for using his name and likeness on it).
The version we have from the UYI sessions sounds like a completed song, but maybe Axl wanted to write more lyrics on it.
I had written Gilby on Twitter at a point a few years ago about this. He said that that was the last song the lineup of the band which included him worked on. That they never “quite for that one right”
Axl’s vox on the Pinball version sound like his higher pitched mid 90s vocals too
- metallex78
- Rep: 194
Re: Ain't Going Down history?
That kinda finished demo that exists is pretty cool instrumentally, and as with all of Slash’s solos from that era, it kicks ass.
If it does come out on the UYI Box, I hope they don’t really tamper with it too much, and if they do put it out in good quality, I hope to hell that Caram stays the fuck away from doing any remixing or production of it as well.
